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Vita Ristorante – Italian Stallion

Soooo it was recently my birthday :D, which means that I got to choose a restaurant and force everybody to eat the food that I am currently craving which – this month – was pasta and all things carby. Now I have problems when I eat too much of this kind of food, full of wheat and gluten, so even I was surprised by my choice of restaurant.

If there is anything I have learnt on my food loving journey, it’s that (unless you have a severe, life threatening, allergy or illness) everything is actually fine in moderation (with a few exceptions – everyone must experiment with their individual limits). When I’m controlling what I eat really well, once in a while I can indulge in my heavy, carby favourites without it meaning that I have to bear the consequences later. Also, if you eat food that is fresh, unprocessed and has been cared for properly in its preparation, I usually find that all I will experience may be a little bloating – but I can totally deal with that if the food is delicious enough! (Just remember, everything in moderation. Before this point I don’t think I had eaten pasta for about 5 months as it can sometimes be the devil to me).

So I live in North London, and my mum and sisters live in Hertfordshire. I knew that I definitely wanted to eat Italian, and after a few recommendations, I still wasn’t convinced by the menus. So I hit up trip adviser and looked for Italian restaurants in Hertfordshire. Along came two choices which hit me in the face: L’italiana (St Albans) and Vita (Welwyn). They were both in the top 10 for Italian restaurants in Hertfordshire and I knew I had to eat what was on their menus. L’italiana had a limitation on the amount of time you could stay – so, knowing how much I love to talk, Vita became the instant winner.

And wow wow wow was I pleased with my choice! The restaurant was absolutely fantastic! It really exceeded my expectations. And the freshness just took over my taste buds on every course. Even the wine, and I am no wine connoisseur, but it was just lovely. The restaurant is really cute – it just felt really homely and welcoming and the members of staff are all just really happy, passionate people.

I didn’t take photos of everything, but let me explain what I did capture.

For starters, my boyfriend and I quickly scouted out the arancini balls on the menu and shared a portion of that with some fresh mozzarella and prosciutto ham. And that was a bit of a mistake – because the portions were massive and because the food was so delicious, we had to finish every last crumb. Let me tell you about the mozzarella. It was so creamy and just melted in the mouth. The arancini were perfectly seasoned and crispy on the outside. They were served with a spicy dipping sauce which was a hit (with everyone aside from me – spicy isn’t really my thing!)

Mozzarella dish to the left. Arancini balls to the right

My mum ordered the house special for starters and main – probably because it meant she didn’t have to look at the menu. And in all fairness to her, she had a really delicious meal! (I always try everyone’s food, but you can always pick at mine in return – sharing is caring!) Her starters were scallops which were so tender and cooked perfectly in a delicious sauce that really lifted the whole dish. And for her main was a slow-cooked brisket of beef. The meat just fell apart on the plate and melted in your mouth.. Both courses really lived up to their names as ‘specials’.

Scallops

Now, the star of the show for me – I was feeling veggie so I opted for the ‘Tortellini Primavera’. Despite it not being a recommended dish by the waitress who I grilled for at least 10 minutes I really think this dish was the under dog. In fact, the sauce on the tortellini was the underdog. You know when you eat something and it just sings along so well with your mouth, you want to savour every last bite but also want more and more in your mouth? This is how the sauce made me feel.

This is how the dish is described in the menu:

(V) Tortellini Primavera (£8.95) (really reasonable, isn’t it?)

Mushrooms, black garlic & cherry tomatoes cooked in a creamy sauce.

Now it’s not the most descriptive item I’ve ever read on a menu, and my one criticism would be that the menu could be a little more detailed (For no reason other than I like to know what I’m eating). Anyway, it caught my eye and my compliments went to the chef after eating it. Everyone at the table agreed on how delicious this dish was. It pleased 7 different palettes. AND. My sister’s boyfriend also ordered it and demolished the whole thing. This was an absolute first, my sister has never, ever seen him finish a meal. Not even one his mum cooked. Now to me, that is the definition of the menu under dog. To be so delicious that it satisfies every palate round the table, and that someone who does not typically have a big appetite, completely devours the meal at a restaurant.

I tried to ask the chef how it was cooked because I really want to recreate the flavours and maybe serve it with something I could eat on a more regular basis than pasta but a magician never reveals his secrets unfortunately.

Another delicious main was the monkfish wrapped in parma ham:

Monkfish

Last but not least: Dessert

Following my mums example, I just went for the special and I was not disappointed. Lemon tart with Ice cream. Now by this point I think the bloat was getting to me so I ate all the lemony bits and gave the crust to my lucky family members. Yummy Yum. If you love citrus desserts as much as I do, you might want to check out my no-bake cheese free cheesecake!

Lemon tart

I really love to find and appreciate restaurants where you can taste the love, passion and care that has gone on to your plate. I will always compliment the chef if their food has blown me away. I am by no means an expert in cookery or blogging and reviews for that matter, I’m just here, expressing what I enjoy.